Bruce blasts greedy players

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has hit out at the greediness of players in the Premier League, claiming that it stops clubs holding on to their best.

Bruce has had to deal with the loss of Darren Bent to Aston Villa and Asamoah Gyan on loan to UAE club Al Ain, and he believes that player greed is out of control.

“Arsenal can’t keep hold of them,” Bruce told The Sunday Mirror.

“It’s part and parcel of what any club will face if someone is determined to go, whether it be Cesc Fabregas or Fernando Torres at Liverpool.”

“Do you think we wanted to lose Bent and Gyan? If Arsenal and Liverpool can’t hold on to their top players, it shows how difficult it is for Sunderland.”

“For all the greatness of the Premier League, money and greed now spirals out of control.”

“I can understand anyone who wants to better themselves. Ambition is what makes the great players great players.”

“That’s normal. That’s what makes the best. The rest? They’re driven by something else, which I can never come to terms with.”

“If we’re not careful, we’re going to alienate the man in the street.”

Bruce criticised Gyan specifically for moving to the United Arab Emirates on loan, believing he was motivated by money and not by football.